History

History of the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center

Founded in 1978, the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center is named after the last Dean of Women at Vanderbilt, Margaret Cuninggim. The Women’s Center has been in the same location, Franklin House on West Side Row, since its opening. The Women’s Center stands firm on its commitment to “celebrating women and empowering all,” running such programs as Feminism 101, Vandy Sex Ed, Work-Life Workshops, Women in the Academy, and the Cuninggim Lecture on Women in Culture and Society. Among other awards, each year the Women’s Center presents the Mary Jane Werthan Award to an individual who has significantly contributed to the advancement of women at Vanderbilt, named for the first woman to sit on the Board of Trust.